JPH07308160A - Method for keeping taste and flavor of rice with silica gel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the generation of musty smell and the deterioration of quality of rice by placing a specific type-B silica gel in rice in a closed vessel, thereby adsorbing water from the rice and efficiently keeping the taste and flavor of rice. CONSTITUTION:The taste and flavor of rice are maintained by placing a type-B silica gel in rice in a closed vessel under a condition to keep the value of the formula, A(100-Z)+Bz to 1350-1450 [A is water-content of the rice; B is water- content of the type-B silica gel (wet basis); z is distribution ratio of the type-B silica gel] according to the water-content of the rice. For example, type-B silica gel having a water-content of 30% and particle diameter of about 3mm is wrapped with a nonwoven cloth and put into new crop of rice having a water-content of 14% at a silica/rice ratio of 1% and the rice is sealed in a PP bag and preserved while keeping the water content of the rice to 14%. The preserved rice is cooked and tasted to find that the rice has delicious taste similar to the original taste and flavor of the new crop of rice.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for maintaining flavor of rice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Rice often produces a musty odor due to moisture during storage, which is unsanitary and impairs the flavor. Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-22687 discloses a method of disposing silica gel in rice to adsorb moisture of rice to prevent generation of mold odor and deterioration of quality.

In addition, since the quality of imported rice, etc. has deteriorated due to mold formation and the like due to the humidity of the rice caused by long-term transportation and differences in climate, the water content of rice is particularly low. It was reduced to -10% to prevent deterioration of quality due to moisture.

[0004]

However, although the generation of musty odor can be prevented by lowering the water content of rice, the flavor of rice may be impaired even when it is too dry. That is, the moisture content of fresh rice is about 14%, and this moisture content is particularly delicious. However, if the moisture content is too low, the taste will deteriorate and cracks and crushing of the surface will occur. , The flavor was lost.

According to the method disclosed in JP-A-6-22687, it is possible to prevent mold odor and preserve rice well, but sometimes when the surrounding atmosphere is too dry or especially when the moisture content is lowered Adjusting the rice flavor well was not satisfactory. Therefore, rice with good flavor, such as fresh rice, does not get damp during storage or is overly dried, and retains the flavor of rice without changing the water content almost constantly, and It has been desired to improve the moisture content of rice even with reduced rice content to about 14%, which is the same as that of fresh rice, and maintain its state to maintain the flavor.

[0006] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and provide a method for maintaining the flavor of rice.

[0007]

Means and Actions for Solving the Problems The method for maintaining flavor of rice according to the present invention is such that the water content in a closed container is such that the value of the following formula (1) becomes 1350 to 1450 depending on the water content of rice. And the B-type silica gel having the arrangement ratio is arranged in the rice.

A (100-z) + Bz ... (1) [where A is the water content of rice, B is the water content of B-type silica gel (wet basis), and z is the arrangement ratio of B-type silica gel. ] Usually, the moisture content A of rice is 8% to 16%.

The water content B of the B-type silica gel is greater than 0% up to 45%, and the arrangement rate z of the B-type silica gel is 0% by weight.
It is preferably larger than 20% by weight. If the water content B of the B-type silica gel is higher than this, water will come out from the surface of the silica gel, and the rice will be wet with liquid water, making uniform water content adjustment difficult. Further, even if the B-type silica gel is disposed in an excessively large proportion, no further effect can be obtained, which is economically disadvantageous.

[0010] B-type silica gel, depending on the water content of rice,
It is necessary to set the water content and the arrangement rate such that the value of the above formula (1) becomes 1350 to 1450. When the value of the formula (1) is lower than this, the humidity in the closed container becomes low, the rice is dried too much, the taste is deteriorated, and the surface is cracked or crushed, and the flavor is impaired. . In addition, it is impossible to improve the flavor by giving a proper amount of water to the rice that has been dried too much.

On the other hand, when the value of the formula (1) is higher than this, the humidity in the closed container becomes high, and the rice absorbs too much moisture to generate a musty odor, and the rice is cooked. It becomes sticky and loses its flavor. In addition, it is not possible to improve the flavor by adsorbing the moisture of rice that has too much moisture.

As described above, the method for preserving the flavor of rice according to the present invention maintains the flavor of rice in the case of good flavored rice or improves the flavor of rice in the case of poorly flavored rice. Holds that state with. B-type silica gel exhibits excellent adsorption power especially in high humidity, and gradually releases a large amount of water adsorbed at high humidity in a constant humidity range of about 50% to about 90% as the atmospheric humidity decreases. Since it has a property of repeating adsorption and dehydration such as aging, the moisture content of rice can be always kept constant by keeping the humidity in the closed container constant.

[0013] Therefore, according to the moisture content of rice
By selecting the water content and arrangement ratio of the type silica gel as described above, the water content of the flavorful rice can be maintained, or, in the case of rice with impaired flavor, approximately 14%, which is the same as new rice.
The state can be maintained while improving.

Particularly, when the rice is rice with a good flavor such as fresh rice, it has an appropriate water content, and therefore it is necessary to keep the water content of the rice as it is. Therefore, if the water content of the B-type silica gel is 10 to 30% and the arrangement rate of the B-type silica gel is 1 to 10% by weight, the humidity in the closed container is 60%.
-80%, which is preferable because the water content of rice is maintained at about 14%.

On the other hand, when the rice is rice having a low water content, such as imported rice, it is necessary to add water to the rice to improve the water content to about 14% and maintain the water content. . Therefore, the water content of B-type silica gel is relatively high.
5 to 45% (wet amount standard) and the arrangement ratio of the B-type silica gel is 0.1 to 10% by weight, the B-type silica gel releases moisture to increase the humidity in the closed container and make it rice. It is preferable because water is added to improve the water content of rice to about 14% while maintaining that state.

The form in which the B-type silica gel is placed in the rice is as it is, or in a breathable bag, for example, a non-woven fabric or a woven fabric using cotton or synthetic fibers, or a polyethylene bag having holes. Although it may be encapsulated, it is preferably encapsulated in a bag because it can be easily separated from rice. In addition, it is preferably dispersed in the rice so that water can be absorbed and desorbed quickly, so that it is preferable that it is enclosed in several bags and dispersed in the rice. Even if they are placed in rice without being packaged as they are, they can be easily sifted into rice and B-type silica gel because of their specific gravities.

The B-type silica gel may be in any form such as crushed form, spherical form or powder form, and its particle size is not particularly limited, but preferably has a particle size of 1 μm to 10 mm. When placing it on rice as it is without enclosing it in a bag, the surface of the rice is attached so as to cover it so that water can be absorbed and desorbed more quickly. Fine powders, especially powders of 10 μm or less, are convenient.

The target rice in the flavor maintaining method of the present invention may be domestically produced products, imported products, fresh rice, or old rice, and may be commercial or domestic ones. According to the rice flavor retention method of the present invention, (1) when the moisture content of rice is about 14%, this state is retained by the B-type silica gel in which the moisture content and arrangement rate are properly selected.
(2) If the water content of the rice is too high, the water content of the rice is removed. (3) If the water content of the rice is too low, the rice is given an appropriate water content to remove the water content of the rice. The state can be maintained while improving the water content to about 14%, which is similar to that of fresh rice. This is because the silica gel has a large surface area, which absorbs the moisture in the rice and the air in the airtight container around it due to the adsorption performance resulting from the chemical / physical action. To release water and moisturize the rice. For this reason, there is no deterioration of taste due to drying, cracking of rice, or crushing, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in flavor and a decrease in price due to this. In addition, since it absorbs the moisture of rice, generation of musty odor, deterioration of taste, and deterioration of quality due to moisture are prevented.

Incidentally, since the B-type silica gel is harmless even if it is taken into the body or discarded after use, it can be used with a sense of security.

[0020]

EXAMPLES In order to further clarify the constitution and operation of the present invention described above, preferred examples of the method of the present invention will be described below. The water content of rice was measured with an electric resistance type grain moisture meter [rice malt moisture meter Leister E2 manufactured by Kett Scientific Laboratory Co., Ltd.]. [Example 1] B-type silica gel (particle size: about 3 mm) having a water content of 30% at a water content of 14% in fresh rice having a water content of 14% was wrapped with a non-woven fabric, put in a polypropylene bag, and sealed. . After left for 1 month and 3 months, the moisture content of rice is about 14%
Was holding. No mold was found. Also,
When the rice was soaked in water, it was examined by a microscope, but neither crack nor crushing of the surface was observed.
When cooked in rice and tasted, the taste was as delicious as the fresh rice a month ago, and the flavor was retained. Example 2 Imported rice with a water content of 10% and 7% B-type silica gel with a water content of 41% (particle size: about 3 mm) wrapped with a non-woven fabric were put into a polypropylene bag and sealed. did. After 1 week, the water content of rice was improved to about 14%, and the water content of rice was kept at about 14% even after left for 1 month and 3 months. There was no mold or the like. 1 week, 1
After 3 months and 3 months, the rice was cooked and sampled, and it tasted better than before encapsulation of the B-type silica gel, the flavor was improved, and the improved taste was retained. [Example 3] A piece of B-type silica gel (particle size: about 3 mm) having a water content of 5% in a ratio of 15% to old rice having a water content of 16% was put into a bag of polypropylene and sealed. . After 1 week, the moisture content of rice was improved to about 14%, and the moisture content of rice was about 14% even after left for 1 month and 3 months.
Was held in. When the rice was soaked in water, it was examined by a microscope, but neither crack nor crushing of the surface was observed. After 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months, the rice was cooked and tasted, respectively. As a result, the taste was better than before the B-type silica gel was encapsulated, the flavor was improved, and the improved taste was retained. [Comparative Example 1] Bone type silica gel (particle size: about 3 mm) having a water content of 50% at a ratio of 5% was added to fresh rice having a water content of 14%, put in a polypropylene bag, and then sealed. . After left for 1 month and 3 months, the moisture content of rice became 15% or more, and mold odor was generated. In addition, after 1 month and 3 months, when they were cooked in rice and tasted, they had a musty odor and were sticky and inferior in taste. [Comparative Example 2] Boiled B-type silica gel (particle size: about 3 mm) having a water content of 5% in a ratio of 15% to fresh rice having a water content of 14% was put into a bag of polypropylene and sealed. . The moisture content of rice is about 12% after left for 1 month and 3 months.
Met. When the rice was immersed in water, it was examined by a microscope and cracks were found on the surface of the rice. Also, when cooked in rice, there were fine particles crushed, and it was crunchy and inferior in taste.

According to each of the above-mentioned examples, by properly selecting the water content and the arrangement ratio of the B-type silica gel according to the water content of the rice, in the case of fresh rice having a good taste, the water content of the rice is about 14%. The flavor could be retained in the same manner as that of fresh rice while the percentage was maintained at%. In addition, in the case of imported rice with a lower moisture content of rice or old rice with a higher moisture content, the moisture content of rice is improved to approximately 14% while maintaining that state, maintaining the flavor of fresh rice. We were able to. That is, it was possible to prevent the flavor of rice from being impaired by keeping the rice at an appropriate moisture content.

While the rice is humidified during storage, especially during the rainy season, it may give rise to a mold odor, or may be dried too much to prevent it from cracking or spoiling the taste. It could be stored for a long time while maintaining the flavor. On the other hand, according to each of the above-mentioned comparative examples, since the water content and the arrangement ratio of the B-type silica gel are not properly selected according to the water content of rice, it cannot be preserved while keeping the flavor of fresh rice well. During storage, a musty odor was generated, and the surface was cracked and the taste deteriorated.

Further, in each of the above examples, since B-type silica gel was wrapped with a non-woven fabric, it was not mixed with rice. Even if B-type silica gel was mixed with rice and ingested by the human body, it was used as a food additive. Since it is an approved safe substance, it can be used with confidence.

Furthermore, since the B-type silica gel is easily regenerated by heating it, for example, by heating it at 150 ° C. for 2 hours, it can be recycled and reused many times, and the resource is preserved. Is the law. Also,
Since silica gel is harmless when it is discarded, there is no pollution.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to these examples, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0026]

As described in detail above, according to the method of the present invention, it is possible to retain the flavor of rice.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A type B silica gel having a water content and an arrangement ratio such that the value of the following formula (1) is 1350 to 1450 is placed in the rice in a closed container according to the water content of the rice. A method for preserving the flavor of rice characterized by. A (100-z) + Bz ... (1) [where A is the water content of rice, B is the water content of B-type silica gel (wet basis), and z is the arrangement ratio of B-type silica gel]